Athletic footwear



Sept. 16, 1969 v. H. LEVIN ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.6, 1966 WOW/P HERBERT 15w S an-4;

p 6, 1969 v. H. LEVIN 3,466,763

ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR Filed Dec. 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent "ice 3,466,763 ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR Victor Herbert Levin, 123 MainSt., Collegeville, Pa. 19426 Filed Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 599,477 Int.Cl. A43b /02 US. C]. 36-25 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosedherein is an article of athletic footwear for preventing injuries to theankle and knee. The footwear includes an insert of relativelynonyielding material which comprises a heel portion that generallyconforms to the shape of a human heel and lateral flanges that areintegral with and extend toward the toe. The outer lateralfiange extendsforwardly to a position adjacent the cuboid bone and terminates along anupper edge that is just below the lateral malleolus or outer tubercle ofthe calcaneus. The inner or medial flange is lower in height than thelateral flange but extends only to a position adjacent the navicular orscaphoid bone. The lateral flange is somewhat higher than the medialflange. The article of footwear also includes cleats for the heel whichcomprise a centrally disposed pivot cleat and laterally disposedelongated supports which are preferably curvilinear.

This invention relates to a protective article of footwear for use inathletics. More particularly, this invention relates to a protectivearticle of footwear for Preventing injuries to the heel, ankle and kneeof persons, particularly youths engaging in athletic events.

Some of the most common injuries sustained during athletic events,particularly football games, are injuries to the heel, ankle and knee.Injuries to the ankle and knee are common to all males who participatein athletic events, however a particular type of injury to the ankle andthe heel occurs mostly in young boys between the ages of 8 and 20. Thetype of injury referred to is known as an epiphyseal injury (or inprecise medical terms as an apophysitis of the 0s calcis) for thereasons that are set forth below.

The section of the human anatomy commonly referred to as the anklecomprises the lower terminus of the fibula and tibia leg bones. Thefibula as well as the tibia articulates with the astragalus which inturn articulates with additional bones including the calcaneus or heelbone and the scaphoid or navicular bone. In general, this section of thefoot is known as the tarsus.

At birth, the lower extremity, known as the external maleolus as well asthe upper extremity of the fibula are cartilaginous. Ossificationcommences in the lower extremity in the second year of life and iscompleted about the twentieth year when the lower epiphysis is finallyjoined to the shaft of the fibula. With respect to the calcaneus, theepiphysis for its posterior tuberosity does not appear until the tenthyear of life and unites with the calcaneus bone only after puberty.

The foregoing structure of the foot and its development results in twotypes of injuries which are frequently incurred by youths particiatingin athletic events. The first of these is a fracture of the epiphysis ofthe fibula. The second is a fracture or displacement of the epiphysis ofthe calcaneus. The first mentioned injury is known as a Potts fracturewhen it occurs in adults and is much more common than injuries to theinner side of the ankle. It is caused by a sharp turning in of theankle. The second mentioned epiphyseal injury is most prevalent amongyoung boys who have not yet passed puberty. It

3,466,763 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 has been determined that this latterinjury is primarily due to the angular junction between the upper andinner sole of the athletic shoe adjacent the heel which causes the heelsto be unsupported at the area of the epiphysis.

Other types of injuries to the ankle and also the knee are common infootball. It is believed that one of the causes for such injuries is theuse of cleats on athletic shoes. When a player turns sharply or cuts asit is known colloquially, injury often occurs because the cleats preventthe athletic shoe from pivoting. The foot becomes locked while the kneeand ankle continue to turn until the stress is too heavy and injuryresults.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel and unobviousathletic footwear which will assist in preventing the foregoing injuriesto the heel, ankle and knee.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel andunobvious insert or athletic footwear which will prevent epiphysealinjuries to the tibia and calcaneus.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide novelcleat structure depending from the heel portion of athletic footwearwhich will reduce the cause of ankle and knee injuries caused by lockingof the foot during sharp turns.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an athletic shoe in accordance withthe present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic bottom view of the shoe illustrated in FIGURE1 showing the position of the cleats.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom view of a heel portion of theshoe illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a heel portion of theshoe illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary rear View of the shoe illustrated inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a phantom perspective view of an ath letic shoe showing thenovel structure thereof in solid line.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary outside view of the shoe illustrated in FIGURE6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary inside view of the shoe illustrated in FIGURE6.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary rear view of the shoe illustrated in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicatelike elements, there is shown in FIG- URE 1, a perspective view of anathletic shoe designated generally as 10.

The inventive embodiment is shown and described herein with particularrelation to a football shoe. However, those skilled in the art willreadily recognize that the principles of the invention are not solimited and have applicability to other types of athletic footwear.

The shoe 10 comprises an upper 12 made of leather or other pliablematerials and may take the form of well known uppers heretofore proposedfor athletic shoes. For the purpose of illustration, the upper 12 isshown as including a vamp 14 which may be reinforced, a shank portion16, a rear quarter portion 18 and a top 20 which is adopted to extendabove the ankle of the wearer. The vamp 14, shank portion 16 and rearquarter portion 18 are lasted and attached in any conventional manner tothe sole portion 22 and heel portion 24 which may take the form of anintegral one-piece bottom for the shoe. A tongue 26 and eyelets 28 areappropriately attached to the upper 12. The laces 30 cooperate witheyelets 28 for 3 retaining the shoe on a wearers foot. A conventionaltop has been illustrated but those skilled in the art will readilyrecognize that the invention is just as useful for oxford or low cuttops.

As is common in football shoes, the sole portion 22 is provided with aplurality of cleats 32. In the embodiment shown, the cleats 32 are fivein number and spaced as shown in FIGURE 2. The cleats 32 areconventionally attached to the sole portion 22 by pins or the like anddepend downwardly therefrom. For purposes of illustration, the cleats 32have been shown as conventional truncated conical structures and arepreferably made of a hardened rubber or plastic material.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the back orheel portion 24 has been provided with only a single pivot cleat 34which is centrally mounted at a position equidistant from the sides ofthe shoe and equidistant from the back and shank of the shoe. Pivotcleat 34 is mounted to the heel portion 24 in a conventional mannerusing a pin or the like. However, unlike conventional football shoes itis the only cleat of the truncated conical type mounted to the heelportion. Pivot cleat 34 provides the wearer with the necessary tractionwhich is so desirable during athletic events. The pivot cleat 34 hasbeen centrally positioned to permit the shoe 10 to pivot about it whenthe wearer turns sharply or otherwise twists upon his heel. Thispivoting action distinguishes over the common type of football shoewhich has a plurality of cleats depending from the heel for simultaneousengagement with the turf. When two or more cleats engage the ground, theshoe cannot pivot and hence injuries to the ankle and knee may besustained.

As shown, the heel portion 24 is also provided with a pair of dependentsupport pieces 36 and 38. Support pieces 36 and 38 are elongated alongan axis generally parallel to the surface of heel portion 24. Inaddition, they are curved about centers that are inward of the sideedges of the shoe. In the preferred embodiment, the support pieces 36and 38 are circular with their centers at pivot cleat 34. The supportpieces 36 and 38 are made of hardened rubber or plastic and providedwith a tread such as the longitudinal grooves 40. Support pieces 36 and38 are preferably attached to the heel portion 24 at a position spacedinwardly from their respective side edges by any conventional means suchas steel pins or rivets. As shown, the outward extension of the supportpieces 36 and 38 from the surface of heel portion 24 is less than theoutward extension of the cleat 34. In the preferred embodiment, thepivot cleat 34 extends approximately of an inch beyond the side pieces36 and 38. To prevent a buildup of mud, the end surfaces 37 of the sidepieces 36 and 38 are at a angle with the surface of heel portion 24. Thedistance between the side edges of the cleats 36 and 38 is about equalto the maximum width of the pivot cleat 34.

As thus constructed, the pieces 36 and 38 provide lateral support forthe wearer of the shoe 10. At the same time, the elongated structure ofthe support pieces 36 and 38 will not imbed themselves in the ground andwill therefore permit the shoe 10 to pivot about the cleat 34.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, shoe 10 is shown in phantom to reveal theinside thereof wherein an insert 42 has been positioned. The shoe 10illustrated in FIG- URE 6 is identical with the shoe illustrated inFIGURE 1 and therefore need not be described in detail. Like numeralshave been provided to identify like elements.

The insert 42 comprises a molded piece of thermoplastic, which isrelatively rigid in comparison to the leather from which the upper 12 ismade. For example, the insert 42 may have a rigidity similar to that ofa plastic counter normally used in shoes to reinforce the rear quarterportion.

The insert 42 comprises three basic sections which combine to providesupport and protection against the epiphyseal injury described above.The first section is a cupped .4 heel section 44 which is molded toconform substantially with a wearers heel. Cupped heel section 44 neednot be molded for individual wearers but can be formed to accept theaverage heel of a person who wears the particular size shoe in which itis intended to be inserted.

As best shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the cupped heel section 44 stands awayfrom the angular junction of rear quarter portion 18 and heel portion24. In an ordinary athletic shoe this junction is almost square andquite out of conformity with the shape of a wearers heel. It has beendetermined that epiphyseal injuries to the calcaneus are primarily dueto the naturally rounded heel of the wearer trying to conform with theunnatural square shape of the shoe. The cupper heel section 44duplicates the roundness of the wearers heel and provides support. Thistype of support is necessary in use for youths who have nto reachedpuberty and therefore have not reached the age where the epiphysis ofthe calcaneus has ossified sufliciently to resist strong forces.

In addition to the cupped heel section, the insert 42 further includesan inner or medial flange 46 and an outer or lateral flange 48. Innerflange 46 is relatively short in length and height in comparison toouter flange 48. In particular, the flange 46 is intended primarily togive support to the cupped heel section 44 and would ordinarilyterminate its forward extension at a point adjacent the navicular bone.In terms of the shoe, this would be within the area defined by thecounter of the rear quarter section 18.

The outer or lateral flange 48 is designed to provide protection againstepiphyseal injuries to the fibula. As such, it extends along the outsideof the foot well forward of the flange 46 to a point which is preferablyadjacent the cuboid bone. This would correspond generally to the outerback part of the shank portion of a shoe. As shown, the outer flange 48is higher than the inner flange 46 at the area designated generally as50. It is intended that the height of flange 48 at area 50 be just belowthe tubercle or protuberance of the ankle bone also known as theastragalus or talus. The raised height of area 50 provides support whenthe angle is turned inwardly thereby applying pressure on the externalmaleolus of the fibula where it articulates with the talus. As explainedabove, the the external maleolus is cartilaginous in young boys andespecially susceptible to Potts fractures until it has suflficientlyossified and joined with the fibula. The raised area 50 absorbs theinward turning pressure on the ankle and thereby assists in preventingsuch fractures.

The foregoing described insert 42 has been shown as designed for a leftfoot and placed in a left-footed shoe. However, it should be recognizedthat a similar insert for the right foot can be provided simply bymaking a mirrored design.

The structure 42 has been described as an insert in the sense that itmay be positioned in any existing s'hoe. However, those skilled in theart will readily recognize that it could be permanently mounted in ashoe in the manner of a reinforced counter.

It should be pointed out that the insert 42 is not a corrective devicein any therapeutic sense. Such corrective devices, commonly referred toas arch supports, are or should be created by a qualified practitionerfor use only by a patient. The insert 42 described herein is intendedfor general use in all athletic shoes. It can be mass produced and soldover the counter without previous examination.

I claim:

1. An article of footwear for athletics comprising an upper, a soleportion and a heel portion, said upper including a rear quarter portionand a shank portion, a foot protective liner for reducing epiphysealinjuries to the calcaneus and to the lower fibula, said liner comprisinga rounded heel section generally conforming to the shape of a humanheel, a first flange integral with said heel section and extending alongthe outer side of said upper to a point within the shank portion of saidupper, the top of said first flange being slightly below the area ofsaid upper adapted to cover the outer tubercle of the calcaneus bone,and a second flange integral with said heel section and extending atleast to the area of said upper adapted to cover the navicular bone, andmeans to prevent twisting injuries to the ankle and knee, said meansincluding a pivot cleat depending from said heel portion, said pivotcleat being centrally disposed, and a pair of laterally positionedelongated support pieces, the longitudinal axis of said elongatedsupport pieces being curvilinear.

2. A foot protective liner for reducing epiphyseal injury to thecalcaneus and to the lower fibula, said liner comprising a relativelynonyielding material adapted to be positioned in an article of foot wearfor athletics, said liner comprising a cupped heel section conforming tothe shape of the human heel, a first lateral flange integral with saidheel section and adapted to be extended to a point adjacent the cuboidbone of the foot, said first flange having a height no greater than theouter tubercle of the calcaneous bone, and a second lateral flangeintegral with said heel section, said second flange being shorter inlength than said first flange, and extending to a point adiacent thenavicular bone.

3. A foot protective liner in accordance with claim 2 wherein the heightof said first flange is greater than the height of said second flange.

4. An article of footwear for athletics comprising an upper, a soleportion, and a heel portion, said heel portion including a single rigidpivot cleat depending therefrom, said pivot cleat being centrallydisposed in said heel portion, and a pair of laterally spaced,elongated, rigid, curvilinear, support pieces depending from said heelportion independently of and concentric with said pivot cleat, saidcentrally disposed pivot cleat extending downwardly from said heelportion a greater amount than the downward extension of said supportpieces so that said support pieces provide lateral support for thearticle of footwear and limit penetration of the ground by said pivotcleat, and said pair of support pieces being equally spaced from, and onopposite sides of, said pivot cleat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,568,064 1/1926 Goldman 36591,857,975 5/1932 Reynolds 3659 2,677,905 5/1954 Dye. 3,333,353 8/1967Garcia. 3669 X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner

